We throw around the word “brave” pretty easily. But what does it actually mean to show courage?
It turns out that courage isn’t just about fearlessness or grand heroic gestures. Authors Ryan Holiday (Courage Is Calling), Brendon Burchard (High Performance Habits), and Mariann Edgar Budde (How We Learn to Be Brave) describe bravery as something more nuanced—and more accessible—than you might think. It’s about moving forward despite fear, making deliberate choices when it matters, and staying hopeful when giving up feels easier. Keep reading to explore what true courage looks like.
Table of Contents
What It Means to Be Brave
Those who think deeply go well beyond the dictionary definition to provide rich descriptions of what it means to be brave. Let’s take a close look at what ancient philosophers and today’s social observers have to say about the real meaning of courage.
Bravery Is Fear Plus Action
In his book Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday defines courage as doing the right thing even though you’re scared. We’re all afraid of getting hurt and losing what’s precious to us, but being brave means pushing that fear aside and following your life’s path regardless. This could mean anything from maintaining a difficult personal boundary with a loved one to standing up for a stranger who’s being harassed on the street.
Brendon Burchard generally agrees with Holiday on the definition of bravery. In his book High Performance Habits, he writes that courage is the willingness to take purposeful action in service of a worthy and sincere goal despite fear, danger, or adversity. These actions don’t have to be bold to be effective. Any step toward overcoming fear or embracing the uncertain is a courageous act.
| The Neuroscience of Courage Neuroscience research suggests that the capacity for courage is literally built into our brains. When we face threatening situations, a neurological competition ensues between fear and courage. Research using brain imaging has identified a region called the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) that works to suppress our fear responses during these pivotal moments, preparing us to act courageously even when we feel afraid. Neuroscience research also seems to support the idea that courage doesn’t require the absence of fear: Instead, acting bravely seems to require a mismatch between our cognitive awareness of fear and our physiological response to it. When we feel consciously afraid but our bodies don’t show strong physical reactions (or vice versa), we’re more likely to act bravely. It’s only when both conscious fear and physical arousal are high that we typically succumb to fear. These findings align with Budde’s assertion that we can increase our capacity for courage. Each time we choose to act bravely, we’re rewiring our brains and strengthening neural pathways that make future acts of courage more accessible. |
Bravery Is Caring and Hope
Holiday argues that the opposite of courage is not fear or cowardice; it’s apathy and despair. You can’t control all the evils in the world or the fear they inspire, but you can choose how you respond to them. If courage is overcoming fear and moving to action, apathy is giving into fear by choosing not to act.
Courageous people are driven by hope instead of fear. They believe in a better future and work toward it by trying to find solutions for the world’s problems. They always care about the suffering of others, finding meaning in their efforts to help.
Holiday asserts that apathetic people convince themselves that they can’t make any real change. They protect themselves through their inaction, as not trying means never having to take risks or let anyone down. However, apathy and despair are self-fulfilling prophecies: The only way to guarantee that the world won’t get better is by never trying to improve it.
| How to Combat Feelings of Hopelessness Holiday argues that courageous people hold onto hope and try to effect positive change no matter what, but that’s far more easily said than done. A constant stream of bad news can prompt feelings of hopelessness in the strongest person, and apathy often forms as a protective response to this hopelessness (rather than due to a true lack of care for the problems of the world). That being said, there are proactive ways you can combat hopelessness during times of crisis. Name the emotions you’re feeling. To begin regulating your emotions, you need to be able to label them. Look beyond the general malaise of hopelessness and try to uncover all its subtleties: anger, fear, grief, worry, helplessness, and so on. Meditation and journaling can help you work through these layered feelings. Protect your energy. Take care of yourself with a healthy diet, physical activity, and high-quality sleep. Take breaks when you need them, be kind to yourself, and make time for the activities that bring you joy. Cultivate meaningful relationships. Spend time with the people who care about you and support you. Opening up about your struggles may encourage them to share their own worries, and you can support each other. Talk to a mental health professional. Persistent hopelessness and apathy can have bigger implications for your health, contributing to disrupted sleep, changes in appetite, and diagnoses such as anxiety and depression. When your coping strategies don’t work, talking to a therapist can help you work through the roots of your feelings and find strategies to improve your quality of life. |
Bravery Is Conscious Choices in Decisive Moments
In her book How We Learn to Be Brave, Mariann Edgar Budde describes bravery as deliberate decisions in life’s crucial moments. We all experience turning points in our lives when we exercise agency rather than operating on autopilot. These moments might involve deciding to go in a new direction, stay committed to our path, start something new, accept difficult circumstances, or take advantage of an opportunity. Decisive moments involve making a deliberate choice when something significant hangs in the balance. Budde explains that we’re aware of the importance of these moments as we experience them. We’re not just reacting to our circumstances; we’re actively participating in shaping our future.
(Shortform note: In both Budde’s framework and in photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s writing, the “decisive moment” emerges as a significant point in our engagement with the world. For Cartier-Bresson, these moments occur when visual elements temporarily align to reveal deeper truths: The photographer doesn’t create this moment, but sees and captures it. Similarly, Budde’s decisive moments aren’t made, but recognized and acted upon. Both view these as encounters between our inner and outer worlds, where preparation enables recognition. For Cartier-Bresson, this results in a balance between our subjective vision and objective reality. And, for Budde, it creates an intersection where our values meet our circumstances.)
| Has Courage Always Meant the Same Thing? Budde’s view of bravery as a conscious choice echoes ideas about courage that have evolved throughout human history. For example, the ancient Greek view on courage is both similar and different from our vantage point today. For ancient Athenians, courage (andreia) was specifically a male virtue that emerged in battlefield prowess. The word itself comes from the Greek word for “man,” and initially meant something closer to “manliness” than our modern, gender-neutral concept of courage. When women displayed bold actions in Athenian tragedy, they were portrayed as monstrous for stepping outside their proper role. But not all Greeks saw it this way. Socrates argued that women could possess the same courage as men, and while Athenians might have been shocked by women taking decisive action in battle, the Spartans celebrated women’s courage. The philosophical Greeks, particularly Plato and later Aristotle, expanded courage beyond combat into a cornerstone of ethical character. They elevated courage as one of the four cardinal virtues (alongside wisdom, justice, and temperance) essential for moral excellence. Plato’s Socrates defined courage as “wisdom of what is and is not to be feared,” suggesting that true courage entailed facing the right dangers for the right reasons, not out of fearlessness. Though mythical Greek heroes loom large in our cultural imagination and suggest courage has always primarily involved warfare and individual battle prowess, this vision of courage was never universal, even in Western tradition. The Romans emphasized that true courage involved living according to one’s principles and values—not just physical bravery. Research suggests that even before ancient Greece, prehistoric societies may have valued cooperation more than competition. In this era, it seems that collective violence between groups might have been the exception rather than the rule. To our early ancestors, courage might have been less about warfare and more about standing together in an uncertain world. Aristotle identified courage as the virtue between the extremes of cowardice—not having the fortitude to do what should be done—and foolhardiness—taking action when you shouldn’t. Aristotle also introduced the idea that courage is a moral habit that must be developed through practice. Later on, the Stoics named courage as one of their four primary virtues. In Stoicism, courage involves freeing yourself from fear so you can do what needs to be done. The Roman philosopher Cicero also identified courage as a way to combat excessive desire, pain, grief, excessive pleasure, and anger. Someone who has a great and courageous soul is indifferent to external circumstances, meaning no external force will stop them from doing the right thing. |
Budde explains that one of the most persistent myths about courage is that it appears suddenly in those who happen to have it. But that’s not how it works in real life. Instead, Budde argues the bravery we exercise in decisive moments represents the culmination of a lifetime of smaller choices. Consider the bishop who stands up to a president, the civil rights activist who marches despite threats, the parent who supports their child’s difficult journey—these acts might appear spontaneous, but they express values and practices cultivated over time. The courage we witness in these moments took shape decision by decision, challenge by challenge.
This understanding transforms how we might view courage in our own lives. Rather than waiting passively for a dramatic moment to reveal whether or not we have bravery, we can cultivate courage by making everyday choices that align with our values. When we recognize that courage is something we learn through practice, we open ourselves to the possibility that anyone can develop the ability to act bravely when it matters most.
What Courage Doesn’t Mean
Burchard clarifies that courage doesn’t include actions that harm other people or encourage needless risk. Holiday contends that bravery isn’t necessarily a heroic action, explaining that heroism is specifically courage in the service of other people. Heroes are willing to make great sacrifices to help others without any discernible benefit to themselves. According to Holiday’s definition, heroism always involves courage, but courageous actions aren’t always heroic.
Holiday asserts that heroism surpasses everyday courage. It allows us to access a higher, almost divine state of being—what the Stoics referred to as “greatness of soul,” or megalopsuchia. Still, heroism cannot exist without everyday courage—developing your courage through ordinary moments of overcoming your fears prepares you for opportunities to be heroic when they come.
(Shortform note: The idea of “greatness of soul,” or megalopsychia, originated with Aristotle. [Though Holiday spells it megalopsuchia, megalopsychia is the more common spelling.] The term can also be translated as pride or magnanimity. For Aristotle, it was the midpoint between vanity and humility: a person being worthy of the honor they command for their external qualities, such as wealth and status. Later on, the Stoics defined megalopsychia as a type of courage (andreia): specifically, as the ability to overcome adversity and undertake great actions for the good of others, matching Holiday’s definition of heroism.)
| How Our Heroes Make Us Better Studies show that heroes play important psychological functions in our lives. These functions can be broken into three categories. Enhancement: Heroes offer motivation, hope, and inspiration to other people. Moral modeling: They provide an example of how to be “good.” Protection: They keep people safe from danger and evil. We turn to our heroes for inspiration during times of crisis. According to researchers’ findings, just thinking of heroes makes us feel safer and more powerful. This is especially true during times when our lives are under threat. The next time you find yourself in a moment of crisis, draw strength by thinking about your personal heroes. |
4 Types of Courage
Burchard identifies four primary types of courage:
- Physical: courage in which you put yourself in danger for a worthy cause
- Moral: courage in which you stand up for your beliefs in the face of adversity
- Psychological: courage in which you overcome a personal fear or anxiety and grow
- Everyday: courage in which you maintain positivity in the face of uncertainty
| Examples of Courage While there are various ways to be brave, they all involve choosing to move forward despite fear, discomfort, or risk. Examples of each type of courage: Physical courage: A firefighter runs into a burning building to rescue a trapped family, knowing they’re risking serious injury or death. They’ve trained for this moment, but the danger is real and immediate. They act anyway because saving lives matters more than their own safety. Moral courage: An employee witnesses their company dumping toxic waste illegally and reports it to environmental authorities, even though they know they might face retaliation, lose their job, or be ostracized by coworkers. They speak up because they believe it’s the right thing to do, despite the personal cost. Psychological courage: Someone with a lifelong fear of public speaking accepts an opportunity to give a presentation at work. Their hands shake and their heart races, but they push through the anxiety, practice diligently, and deliver the speech. Each time they do this, they grow a little stronger and more confident. Everyday courage: A person going through a difficult divorce chooses to wake up each morning with gratitude, maintain a positive attitude around their children, and keep showing up to work with a smile—even when they feel like falling apart. They face the uncertainty of their new life with hope rather than bitterness. |
Learn More About the Meaning of Bravery
To better understand what it means to have courage in the broader context of these three books, take a look at Shortform’s guides (summary and analysis) to each one:
